In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating Atlanta women leaders who are shaping a stronger, more hopeful community, and the moments of support that helped make their journeys possible. Through their stories, we see women leading with the skills, lived experiences and unique perspectives that uplift their communities every day. We applaud these inspiring Atlanta women leaders, because when women have access to opportunity, Greater Atlanta only grows stronger.
Read these stories of four inspiring women leaders below.
Monica Pearson Kaufman
Monica is a trailblazer in both professional and philanthropic leadership in Atlanta. Starting at WSB-TV in 1975, she worked as the first female and first African American to anchor the daily evening news in Atlanta—and thirteen years later, became the first African American and second woman ever to chair our Board of Directors.
“I think I am probably the first United Way Chair who had actually been a recipient of United Way services,” remembered Monica. “Literally, I can say from cradle to grave, United Way has been a part of my life and helped me become the person that I am.”
Throughout her life, United Way programs and partnerships have made her successes possible. She attended a United Way-funded early learning center, attended a camp with the Girl Scouts that would not have been possible without a United Way-supported scholarship, and got her first job at a United Way partner organization, the YMCA. Even her daughter was adopted through a United Way partner organization.
During her tenure as board chair, Monica helped our organization expand its partner network and deepen its impact throughout the region. She credits her success as board chair to one of Atlanta’s women leaders who paved the way: Marie Dodd, the first woman to hold the role of board chair.
“It’s women helping women. She didn’t look at me as competition because she’d already been in the role. She felt the need to be a support,” Monica said.
Outside her leadership at our organization, Monica continues to give back to her community as the president of the Ivy Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. And even after semi-retiring as an Emmy-award-winning news anchor, you can still catch her every Sunday night at 8 P.M. on Atlanta News First.
Jamie Lackey
Through her work as a social worker, Jamie saw firsthand how critical diapers and formula are for new moms—especially since these items aren’t covered by SNAP benefits. In 2016, she teamed up with United Way of Greater Atlanta to start a new nonprofit through our inaugural SPARK Prize in 2016.
In the years since, our partnership allowed her to move her diaper pantry out of her garage into a space of its own. She’s now served more than 160,000 parents and is moving into an even bigger warehouse this month.
For her, being a woman in leadership means making sure no other woman is left behind, which is true not only of the moms Jamie supports, but also of the 13 women she employs at Helping Mamas.
“It’s about turning lived experience into action and using our positions not just to succeed, but to create pathways for others to rise alongside us,” she said.
Nadia Rahali
Nadia remembers calling our 211 Contact Center when she was at a crossroads, deciding whether to stay or go in an unsafe marriage. 211 helped her find her freedom—and inspired her to give back to her community in big ways.
“When we share our bounty and make the best with what we have. When we use our resources to care for others, something unexpected and something miraculous begins to unfold in our lives,” said Nadia.
>> READ MORE: Nadia’s 211 Story
Today, she is the manager of the Loudermilk Center, hosting conferences each year that bring together visionaries, activists, and community leaders who are making a difference.
Jasmine Houston-Crowe
Jasmine has been named one of the top 100 most influential female founders, having raised more than $1 million dollars in venture capital for her company Goodr, a company whose mission is to rescue food waste to feed the hungry.
It all started with an initial investment from United Way of Greater Atlanta—support that kept her vision alive even during one of the toughest chapters of her life.
“I keep going because I don’t want to fail. Everyone that said, ‘She won’t be successful. This won’t work. We’re not going to back her. We’re not going to invest in her.’ They keep me motivated to prove them wrong,” said Jasmine in an interview with CNBC.
Today, Goodr continues to serve Greater Atlanta, including as a partner in our Hunger Crisis Relief Fund when SNAP benefits were paused during the 2025 government shutdown. What started as a business idea has grown to divert 3 million pounds of food from landfills and serve 30 million meals and counting to families in need.
>> RELATED: Frozen Benefits, Empty Freezers
During Women’s History Month—and in every month—your gift to United Way of Greater Atlanta can help inspiring Atlanta’s women leaders continue to rise up and change our community. Help open doors for women by donating today.